An illuminating letter from John Prescott the deputy Prime Minister
speaks for itself.

The letter was written in response to a query by a member of the CEP.

Thank you for your letter dated 3rd September 2002.

Mr. Prescott has asked me to write to you regarding
your claims of discrimination. After making enquiries
I believe you are a citizen of the United Kingdom and
have a native ethnicity.

I shall attempt to answer your comments. Firstly, I
assume you are referring to the Census form that has
no facility for stating English nationality. This is
because there is no such nationality as English as
laid down by various acts of Parliament and accession.
Persons born in the United Kingdom are citizens of the
United Kingdom and are therefore British/English.

Secondly, you state that your children are unable to
practice their religion at school. Since 1989, all
non-denominational schools in the United Kingdom have
had the right to Christian assembly removed. This was
because it was felt to be insensitive to the needs of
ethnic minorities being forced to practice a creed
different to their own. There is however, no reason
you cannot attend church services of your own
denomination in your own time.
Lastly you are complaining that you cannot celebrate
your patron saint's day without punitive financial
penalties being imposed. Again, there is no reason
preventing you from celebrating in your own time as
long as your celebrations are kept within legal
restraints and do not interfere with the sensitivities
of any ethnic minority.

I trust this letter answers your queries.

Yours sincerely

R. Morrison

PP Rt Hon John Prescott.

The letter is an insult to the English and Welsh people (who
were also excluded).

If English is not a nationality, true but neither is 'Asian', 'afro-Caribbean'
or Scottish. All of which appeared on the form.

The question related to ethnicity not nationality. Clearly Prescott
and his advisors cannot differentiate between the two.